Travelling around Valletta may have just got a bit easier as a new electric bicycle sharing system, operated by Malta Public Transport, was unveiled on Monday.

Tallinja Bikes will have 40 e-bikes available for rent around the capital, with three docking bays at Fort St Elmo, the bottom of the Upper Barrakka lift, and the bus terminus by Tritons Square.

Additional bays by the Marsamxett ferry stop and in the centre of the city may be installed in the future, according to the operators, although there are no plans to extend beyond Valletta.

Users can pick up a bike using their Tallinja card, and deposit it at any of the bays when they are done.

The cost is €3 for the first half hour, although as part of an introductory offer, the rate will be €1.50 per half hour for the first three months. Membership schemes will also be available making the service cheaper for frequent users.

Transport minister Ian Borg said the new service would help people move around the city and between different forms of public transport - such as the bus and ferry - more easily, as part of a wider shift towards multi-modal transport systems.

The new system is one of several similar measures getting underway recently.

Malta’s first motorbike sharing service Ioscoot - also linked to the Tallinja card - launched last month with 40 electric scooters which users can book through a mobile app and pick up and leave anywhere within the Valletta, Msida, Gżira, Sliema and St Julian’s area.

Meanwhile, the private bike-share Nextbike has been operating around Malta for nearly two years.

Last year, the government also announced an agreement with the Israeli company Car2Go to set up a national car sharing system with 150 electric cars, although the set-up is not yet in place.